Moving On
by elsawriter
Summary: After getting her diploma, Abby decides it is time that she got out of County General, and out of Chicago and her old life. An invitation from Luka leads her to Africa where she experiences things she never knew before…
1. Chapter 1

This is my firs ER fic, I've been writing Harry Potter and Buffy, but I'm a huge ER fan and felt like I wanted to write something different for a change. Please excuse any medical terms that are wrong, I'm just trying to go by what I've heard in ER.

Disclaimer: All the characters in this story and the settings belong to other corporations. I'm making no money from this story

Timeline: Season 10, during the episode 'Touch and Go' just after Abby meets Kem and Carter. Except, Luka gives in his resignation, he doesn't decide to stay in Chicago.  Sorry for any inconsistencies with the story in this episode, I've only seen it once. 

Premise: After she gets her diploma, Abby decides it is time that she got out of County General, and out of Chicago and her old life. An invitation from Luka leads her to Africa where she experiences things she never knew before…

**Chapter 1 – Prologue **

"You okay?" Luka asked concernedly.  
 "I'm fine," Abby said before he could even get the words out. "I'm fine." She repeated and walked away from Luka. She crossed the corridor, not taking notice of the people sitting around her nursing their various ailments.  
Truth was, she wasn't fine. It hurt, that Carter was able to go away and find someone else. True, she had moved on, but he was so far away from her now, he was like a different person. With his new girlfriend and their baby.  
Abby sighed; she entered the on call room and lay down on the bed in there. Her eyes didn't close; she stared up at the ceiling through the darkness. Her mind was whirling; too little sleep and not enough caffeine had made it a bad day to meet her ex and his new beautiful girlfriend.   
But she wasn't jealous. She found that strange, she had expected to see Carter again and want him, want them again. But she hadn't. She felt nothing, friendship maybe but not romance, not passion. But then her feelings had been like that for a while. She wasn't even sure why they had gotten together, their relationship had been born out of pain and suffering; two addicts trying to help each other through. After she had broken up with Luka, getting together with Carter had seemed like the next step. She had wanted that feeling of being with someone again, having someone to hold onto and lean against.

But that was all over, Carter was gone Luka was gone. She had a new life, a new job even. Med school again, she'd never thought she'd return but she had. She felt old; she looked at Neela and the other students and felt old. 

Abby closed her eyes and tried to sleep but her brain was working too much. Trying to remember medical terms, trying to deal with her feelings, it was all too much.  
Abruptly she sat up. Voices she recognised as Pratt's and Gallant's sounded from outside. Abby sighed grumpily and got up. She pulled on her lab coat and stomped out of the room, berating them for disrupting her sleep. She walked across to the desk; she hadn't been able to sleep anyway she thought fairly.  
 "I thought you weren't on til later?" Sam said and she looked through a pile of charts on the desk in front of her. 

 "Couldn't sleep," Abby replied, selecting a chart from the box. "Thought I'd make myself useful." Just as she spoke a gurney was wheeled through the doors. She crossed the floor and joined it as the paramedics pushed it towards the trauma rooms.

 "GSW to the chest, BP 90 over 180," the male paramedic reeled of the list of vitals as the pushed the gurney into the trauma room.   
Neela, Carter, Abby and two other interns gathered around the body. The wound was to the chest, and Sam got to work intubating the man, whilst Carter cracked open his chest.

"No blood in his heart," Carter yelled. "Abby, compressions." Abby reached her hands into the mans chest and began to pump his heart with her hands. As she did it she realised it was futile, the heart was not filling.  
 "There's nothing in there," she said and Carter nodded and began to look in the chest for the bullet, and the hole it had created.  
 "It hit an artery, he's haemorrhaging," he said. Sam handed him clips and he carefully clipped the artery that he held in his fingers. Abby continued to pump the heart but there was still no blood filling the chambers.  
 "Still nothing," she called and the other interns followed instructions from Carter as they attempted to save the man's life. After twenty minutes, Carter covered up the man's face as Sam called the time of death and the gurney was wheeled out.  
Abby began to peel the blood covered latex gloves from her hands, looking down in disgust at the blood that covered the front of her scrubs. 

She was suddenly aware that it was only her and Carter left in the room. Turning, they exchanged half smiles.

"I'm glad you went back," Carter said suddenly.  
 "To med school?" Abby said, with another smile. "Me too."

 "You never should've quit," Carter said decisively.  
 "Maybe," Abby replied, peeling off her second glove. "Timing's everything, though, right?" They smiled again and Carter nodded. 

"You seem happy," he ventured again.  
 "Right back atcha," Abby replied nonchalantly. He nodded, taking off his goggles.  
 "We're okay right?" he said concernedly and Abby nodded.  
 "We're okay," she confirmed, and she meant it. They were okay. Her feelings for Carter were gone; she really wanted him to be happy.  
 "Good, because Kem and I are going to dinner after and wondered if you wanted to join us," he teased. Abby laughed.  
 "We're not that okay," she answered with a grin, and Carter laughed. "But you're okay now right?" Carter nodded.  
 "Africa kind of put everything together for me," he said with a shrug. "Everything started to make sense again. It's an amazing experience. You should go." Abby shrugged.

 "Might as well finish med school first," she said as they walked out of the trauma room.   
She nodded to Carter as he walked off down the hallway. Abby stopped in the hallway and watched his back as he walked down the hallway. That chapter of her life was finished with, she had moved on and so had he.  
Abby turned and nearly walked into Luka who had been standing directly behind her.

 "Geez Luka, you should wear a bell," she said good naturedly. He smiled softly at her.  
 "Are you okay?" he asked gently and she nodded.  
 "As I keep saying, I'm fine," she replied. "Me and Carter, that's done with now. It's all settled." He nodded seriously.  
 "He's right you know," Luka said. "You should come to Africa. You'd love it, I know." Abby raised an eyebrow and Luka chuckled. "Sorry couldn't help overhearing." 

 "Then you'll have overheard me say that I wanted to finish med school first," she answered. "Now I'm back in, I might as well finish finally."   
 "I'm going out there next week. This is my last shift." Luka said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "You could come out in a month when you've got your diploma. Think about it Abby." Abby looked up at him, at his gentle brown eyes.  
 "Maybe," she said noncommittally. "Call me in a month and I'll let you know. I'll think about it."  
 "Do," he said seriously. "Good luck with your exams. I know you'll do well. I'll call you after the results."  
 "Thanks," she said, feeling that she'd truly need his luck. "And take care of yourself Luka." She hugged him and felt the familiar comfort of his arms wrapped around her. She'd always enjoyed hugging him; something about being hugged by someone so tall was comforting.  
She pulled away and looked at him for a moment, before smiling and walking down the hallway. 

***

This is my first attempt at an ER fic as I said, so feedback would be really appreciated. Let me know what you think and if I get good feedback then I'll update! 


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry an update took such a long time, I was trying to find some inspiration.  
  


Thanks to: star bright, Celtic Caitlin, girlintheyankeeshat, Caderyn, Katalyn, surfer wanabee  

**Chapter 2 **

Abby padded through her apartment holding a cup of coffee in one hand and her new diploma in her hand. It was dark and so she flipped on the light before sitting down on the sofa. She was a doctor, Dr Lockhart. It didn't seem to quite work in her head, she still felt like a nurse.   
Abby sipped her tea and looked at her diploma speculatively. She was wearing huge socks, flannel pyjama bottoms and a big t-shirt. The other med students had gone out to celebrate but Abby had chosen to go home.   
She stared through her diploma, not really seeing it but thinking. Two months had passed since Carter had returned from Africa and it had been hectic. Trying to revise for her written exams, and actually be a doctor with other students like Neela around. But she had enjoyed it, it was finished now and she could say that she was a doctor. She had achieved what she had started so long ago.   
The phone rang, startling her from her thoughts and she reached over to the table next to the sofa to pick up the cordless.  
 "Hello?" she said, putting her diploma down but still clutching her coffee.  
 "Abby," a warm voice came down the line through a lot of static and crackling. "How are you?"

 "Luka?" Abby said, and she began to smile. "How are you phoning me? I thought you were in Africa." A warm chuckle came down the line.  
 "I am," he confirmed. "But I said I'd phone when you got your results. How did you do?"  
 "I passed," she said delightedly.  
 "Congratulations Dr Lockhart," he said warmly and Abby laughed. "I knew you could do it."  
 "You had faith when I didn't," Abby commented dryly.  
 "So have you thought about what I said?" Luka said. "About coming to Africa, we could really use more doctors. It would be great experience." Truth told, Abby hadn't thought about it, the idea had left her mind as abruptly as Luka, to be replaced by medical terms. But now she did think about it. Leaving Chicago, leaving her friends behind, and the ER to go to a different country.  
 "I don't know," Abby confessed. "I'm not sure."

 "I think you'd really like it," Luka said honestly. Abby thought some more. A beeping noise came on the line.  
 "I've got about thirty seconds left," Luka warned. "Money's running out." Abby closed her eyes and listened to the crackle.  
 "I'll come," she said, surprising even herself.  
 "Great," Luka said. "Fly out, ask Carter where and I'll have someone meet you at the airport. I'll call in a few days for your flight details. Take care...By-" Luka was cut off as his money ended and Abby replaced the handset onto the phone. She was going to Africa, she thought with a thrill. Going where Luka and Carter had been, where they had found themselves, found something in them that they hadn't known was there before.

Abby got off of the plane and shielded her eyes from the sun that beat down on the runway. It had been a two weeks since she'd spoken to Luka and it had been a crazy two weeks. Kerry had been furious at her request for a sabbatical, proclaiming that she was needed in Chicago but Abby had been firm with her decision and Weaver had no choice but to comply in the end. She had had a small leaving party held for her by Susan, which involved her, Susan, Chen and Elizabeth in a bar toasting Abby with margarita. But she was here, in Africa.  
Abby collected her luggage quickly and then stepped outside the airport looking around edgily for someone who looked like they wanted to collect her. Luka had said he would send someone to get her and Abby couldn't help but feel slightly panicky as she didn't see any signs bearing her name.  
She relaxed, however, when she saw Luka's familiar smiling face approaching her. She stood still and let him come to her, his arms enveloping her in a crushing hug.  
 "I thought you were going to send someone for me," Abby said, looking up at his sun-glassed eyes.  
 "I cam instead," he said, looking down at her and still beaming. "It's good to see you. Let's go." He picked up her small suitcase and she followed him across the asphalt to a dilapidated truck. He opened the door for her and she climbed into the passenger seat.   
 "Nice truck," she commented as he slid into the driving seat and started the engine. 

 "It belongs to the Kinsangani hospital," he said, pulling out of the parking lot and driving down a dirt road.   
Abby exulted in the feeling of warm air on her face as they drove in silence for a while through stunning country. She pulled out her own sunglasses and put them on. After a while she turned her attention to Luka, who was driving contentedly, humming a quiet tune. He looked happy but tired and he had obviously not shaved in a while. His oversized t-shirt was dirty but his hands were clean.   
 After a short time, they began to talk.  
 "How is everyone in Chicago?" Luka asked, eyes fixed on the road.  
 "Same as usual," Abby commented dryly. "Weaver's still got a stick up her butt. New med students driving Susan mad. Same old." Luka chuckled and the sound was warm.  
 "I don't miss that when I'm out here," he said reflectively. "Chicago is so self-absorbed. Your own problems matter there, here they don't. They don't mean anything here because you are doing something real." 

"What will I be doing here?" Abby asked, feeling a tense knot in her stomach. "What will I deal with?"  
 "AIDs, Malaria, GSWs, pertusus, diphtheria," Luka listed flatly. "Many more diseases caused by poor diet and water supplies. Scurvy, smallpox, you name it, they've got it. Drugs are limited, penicillin, and some simple vaccines."  
 "Carter said it would mess with my head," Abby said listlessly. "He said it was frustrating."

 "It is," Luka said bluntly. "Watching a child die from whooping cough when we could clear it with a ten dollar course of erythromycin. But that's how it is. Prepare yourself."  
 "You said I'd have a good time," Abby joked. "Thanks a lot."

 "You will," Luka insisted. "If you appreciate what you are seeing. Humanity at its most basic level, material possessions stripped away and all that's left is real people fighting to live." 

He turned the truck off of the dirt track and they appeared to enter a village, many tents were set up, littered around a few buildings. People milled around, many waving at Luka and Abby as they passed through. Finally, Luka stopped the truck and they climbed out.  
 "Welcome to Kinsangani Hospital," Luka announced. 


End file.
